David R. Knap was born in Eveleth, Minnesota, in 1929. He grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor's degree in geology in 1952 and a master's degree in educational psychology in 1955. Knapp worked as a junior high school teacher and counselor in Omaha, Nebraska, before moving to Anchorage, Alaska in 1957 to serve as the junior high school director of guidance services. He then served as Academic Director for Anchorage Community College (1961-1972), and President of Sitka Community College (1972-1982). After retiring from the University of Alaska System, Knapp worked as a private consultant for Selection Research Incorporated-Gallup in Lincoln, Nebraska (1982-1993). He then taught spoken English at the Foreign Language Middle School of Yunnan University in Kunming, China (1993-1995), as well as short terms at the same school and the Yunnan University Secondary School (1997-2005). Knapp has also served as an officer of the Sitka, Alaska Chamber of Commerce, Alaska Arts Southeast, and Rotary District 5010. David R. Knap resides in Anchorage, Alaska.

The collection consists of selected papers of educator David R. Knapp. The collection contains: paper and CD-ROM copies of Knapp's manuscript, A Brief History of the University of Alaska in Sitka: The First Forty Years (2002); a copy of the book, Experiencing Another Culture, edited by Zhou Zen and David R. Knapp (2007), a letter (2006), and selected student essays related to Knapp's visit to Yunnan University Secondary School in Kunming, China, in 2007; a xerographic copy of Knapp's meritorious service award from the University of Alaska Board of Regents (1983); and a xerographic copy of an honorary certificate awarded to Knapp by the Governor of Yunnan Province (1998).

The collection was presented to the archives by David R. Knapp in 2007.